Sunday, March 28, 2010

Secret War

Secret Wars originaly ran from may 1984 to april 1985; and in Norway as "Hemmelig Krig" in Edderkoppen [Spiderman] #9 1987 til #7 1988. I remember waiting impatiently for every new number, reading it in the shop if I did'nt have the money to buy it straigth away. When I happened to see the book (now dubbed "Kosmisk Krig" [Cosmic War]) on a recent trip to the library I felt compelled to borrow it.

It started with DC beeing contacted by a guy who in a moment of deep insigth had understood that the stunning toys&dolls-merchandising success of Star Wars, Transformers, He-Man and such obviously could be transfered to Superman&friends. Whatever DC had, Marvel wanted. Toyproducer Mattel had He-Man (and Barbie...), but wanted superheroes aswell in case they would be the next big thing. BUT they would only make the deal if Marvel would make some extraordinary effort to hype the thing up.

And Secret Wars was the result of their deal.

This is pre-Watchmen material, "grapic novels" was something only high nerds would speak of, and motivated by greed the Secret War falls quite far below the quality lowmark of anything pretending to be smarter than Donald Duck these days. It has some sweet plot twists, some fine dialogue like Captain America stating that "Some of my best friends are people." - Secret Wars even have some interest as the first major crossover product; but still I think it is hardly worth reading even for those with a special interest.

Ahh, 87-88, fifth grade, those were the days man! Everybody hated me. Kids know an asshole when they see one, grownups are easier to fool. My body was changing; I was still playing with Transformers and whatnot, afraid of ghosts, a child in every respect - and yet I had the sexual urges of a grown man. To ride that beast is like riding a wild horse; and I've heard more than one old man speak with gratitude of the sunset years and the taming of the horse.

It might be a spurious [s]existential link: But about that time when I was thrown on that horse and felt that intense urge for the union of two bodies&two souls... was also the time i first started to realize that I was alone, even midst family and friends. Unable to get a girlfriend (or boyfriend) I soon started to long for some kind of existential relief, even for death. Alternatly longing for death with childish suicide fantasies; and longing for that glorious union of love - preferably with me as the hero saving some girl I thought was cute at the time from super villians or Soviet terrorshocktroops.